Yes, I am Here
by Rosa Cotton
Summary: *Companion piece to What Has Taken You Away? and Between a Hobbit and a Wizard* Frodo wakes up in Rivendell and is reunited with Gandalf. Bookverse, slightly AU, debatable.


Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or setting from Lord of the Rings. It all belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.

Author's Note: This is a sequel to my other story, What Has Taken You Away? Quotes that are in italics are directly from the book. The first, second, third, and sixth quotes are from "Many Meetings," and the fourth and fifth quotes are from "Flight to the Ford," both chapters are from The Fellowship of the Ring. This is mainly book-verse though maybe also slightly AU.

~~~ 

Yes, I am Here 

_"Frodo woke and found himself lying in bed. At first he thought that he had slept late, after a long unpleasant dream that still hovered on the edge of memory. Or perhaps he had been ill? But the ceiling looked strange;  it was flat, and it had dark beams richly carved. He lay a little while longer looking at patches of sunlight on the wall and listening to the sound of a waterfall._

_"'Where am I, and what is the time?'  he said aloud to the ceiling._

_"'In the House of Elrond, and it is __ten o'clock__ in the morning,' said a voice. 'It is the morning of October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know.'"_

~~~ 

Frodo stares up at the ceiling for a second more before he sits up in amazement.

"Gandalf." It is the only word he can get past his suddenly dry lips.

Indeed there is the grey wizard. He is sitting in a chair calmly smoking his pipe, studying Frodo carefully. The wizard appears to be in the best of health.

"You are here," Frodo manages to say, practically staring at the wizard in disbelief now.

"Yes," Gandalf answers. "And you are lucky to be here, too. After all that has befallen you and the foolish things you have done since leaving Hobbiton."

Frodo lies back and sinks contentedly into the soft bed, too happy at seeing that Gandalf is alive and at hearing his beloved voice once again, and too peaceful to argue. He thinks about what has happened on this journey so far. Being hunted by Black Riders while on the Road. Going through the Old Forest as a "short cut." His and the other hobbits meeting Tom Bombadil. Their fearful time in the Barrow-downs. His 'disappearing act' at the Prancing Pony. And, finally, at Weathertop his giving in and putting the Ring on in the dell. Indeed! How foolish were some of the things he had done!

He silently watches white smoke-rings from Gandalf's pipe fly out an open window.

"Where are the others? Are they all right?" Frodo asks, suddenly remembering his fellow hobbits and the ranger.

"Yes, they are fine. All anxious about you," Gandalf answers. "I took over Sam's post last night, insistent that he get some rest."

Frodo nods, then stares up again at the ceiling, trying to recall their flight to the Ford.

_"Fly! Fly! The enemy is upon us!"_ He remembers Glorfindel's warning cry. Asfaloth, Glorfindel's horse, galloped toward the Ford with Frodo after receiving a command from his master. Black Riders chased from behind while others attempted to cut off the hobbit's escape to the Ford. He remembers their fell voices, calling to him to halt. They had mocked him. They would take him to Mordor, they said. He had been nearly powerless against them. The last thing he can recall is his trying to resist them a final time._ "By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair, you shall have neither the Ring nor I!"_

"What happened? Why was I unable to resist them?" Frodo says aloud.

"Your wound was finally overcoming you, and you were beginning to fade. If you had not held on for a few more hours, you would have been beyond our aid." There is the tiniest crack in Gandalf's voice – which Frodo just narrowly misses – as he fights to keep under control the fear and anxiety that he went through the last few days and which now threaten to surface. _"But you have some strength in you, my dear hobbit!"_ he finishes softly.

"But what happened to you, Gandalf? Why didn't you come back to Hobbiton to travel with us on the Road?" Frodo asks what has been on his mind since laying eyes on Gandalf.

"I am sorry, Frodo," the wizard answers, "I was delayed." His brows draw together in a frown and his eyes darken at some foreign memory.

"Will you not tell me what happened?!" Frodo presses.

"Yes, later! You are supposed to rest, under orders of Lord Elrond. In good time you will know all about what you wish."

"At least tell me why you were delayed! Then I shall be content for the time being." The hobbit refuses to back down.

"Such a persistent hobbit," Gandalf chuckles to himself slightly and then becomes serious once more. "For now I will only say that I was held as a prisoner." 

Frodo gapes at him and cries, "You?"

"Yes. There are some powers – for good or for evil – in this world greater than even I, Gandalf the Grey. And against some I have not yet been tested," solemnly says the wizard.

Frodo frowns down at the bed sheets, greatly troubled by his friend's words. Before he can pursue the subject, however, there is a soft knock at the door. Before either hobbit or wizard have a chance to answer, the knob turns and the door opens. Sam's head peeks around the door. His eyes widen when he sees Frodo awake and rushes to the bed and takes Frodo's good hand gently in his.

"Hello, Mister Frodo," he says shyly. "It is wonderful to see you awake after so many days."

"Hello to you, Sam," Frodo answers cheerfully. "It is good to see you are well… Days? How long have I slept?"

"Lord Elrond has tended you for four nights and three days," Gandalf ventures, watching the reunion between the two hobbits.

"I was going to check on you, Frodo, and take up my post again, if you don't mind, Mister Gandalf, sir," said Sam.

"Isn't it wonderful to see Gandalf again, Sam?" Frodo says happily to his friend. "He was telling me why he was delayed and—"

Sam's eyes widen. He lets go of Frodo's hand, turns to Gandalf, and wags a finger at him.

"Begging your pardon, Mister Gandalf, but you know what Lord Elrond said about Mister Frodo needing to rest and not talking," he scolds the Big Person.

"Oh, but, Sam…" Frodo tries to interrupt.

"Now don't worry, Mister Frodo, you and Mister Gandalf may talk for as long as you want when Lord Elrond says so," finishes Sam firmly, then proceeds by starting to shoo Gandalf towards the door.

Gandalf does not stop the hobbit but obediently moves to the door, his back to Frodo. 

"I will leave now," he resigns. "I will poke in later – and not talk," he quickly adds under Sam's half-glare. "Take care of him, Sam."

Frodo has watched the interaction between Gandalf and Sam with a little amusement, but now he sits bolt upright and stares at Gandalf's back, his eyes full of panic and fear.

"Mister Frodo?" Sam's voice is full of concern.

Gandalf pauses and turns to Frodo.

Frodo ignores Sam and blinks back the sudden tears welling up in his eyes. He fears it is all just a wonderful dream. Once Gandalf leaves, he won't come back. He was never really here talking with him. His dream about Gandalf was not just a dream. Something really happened to him when the other figure came with his staff… Frodo meets Gandalf's concerned gaze. 

"You, you really will come back? You won't disappear like before? You're even really here? I'm not still asleep and just dreaming?" Frodo's voice is shaking uncontrollably.

Emotions race through Gandalf's eyes so quickly that Frodo cannot tell what they are. Gandalf crosses to the bed in enormous strides. He bends down to see Frodo eye-to-eye. He brushes his robe against Frodo's hand: it is rough as it always is. The smell of pipe-weed surrounds him.

"Yes, I am here, Frodo," he says huskily.

Frodo relaxes, and all lingering doubts flee as familiar warm arms encircle him and a beard tickles his nose. His good hand entangles itself in the grey robes. 

He then breaks down sobbing in relief and joy.

THE END  

~~~ 

Let me know what you think.


End file.
